Old Trafford: Manchester United 5-1 FC Midtjylland

Manchester United 5-1 FC Midtjylland

Aerial shot of Old Trafford (Mills Media Group)

Ratings
Overall Ground Quality : 10/10
Ease of getting there : 8/10
Atmosphere : 4/10
Programme : 9/10
View of Action : 8/10
Quality of the game : 7/10
The "football" feeling : 6/10
Chances of coming here for a random game : 5/10
Legroom : 8/10
Surrounding area : 5/10

Overall : 70/100

Programme - £3.50

East Stand

Sir Alex Ferguson Stand

Stretford End

Sir Alex Ferguson Statue

Stretford End

Munich Disaster Memorial

South Stand

Sir Alex Ferguson Stand

Stretford End

Sir Alex Ferguson Stand

Stretford End

South Stand

Stretford End

Sir Alex Ferguson Stand

Stretford End

Sir Alex Ferguson Stand

South Stand

Sir Alex Ferguson Stand

South Stand

Sir Alex Ferguson Stand

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Manchester United 1-0 Leicester City

An opportunity presented itself for me to sit in the corporate seats at Old Trafford for this Premier League game so I duly took up the invitation to sit in the best seats in the house.

As my weekend involved working in Harrogate on the Sunday, I drove from Leicester and parked in Whitefield.

This gave me easy access to the M62 and also a park and ride stop for the metro link tram service.

The car park is opposite Morrison’s and the metro link takes you straight through Manchester directly to Old Trafford, taking about 40 mins.

My entrance was the Manchester suite within the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand. After the usual checks, I was handed a free programme and made my way up the escalators to the first floor.

Their quality and style hit you, fine dining on the left an expensive looking bar to the right, with big screens showing Liverpool or all teams beating Newcastle.

Leading from here down a flight of stairs we find toilets that resemble something from a top hotel plus also a more reasonable looking food outlet, The United Kitchen plus neighbouring bar.

I parted with 13 quid for a pint a lamb burger chips and salad. A generous portion and considering everything not the worst value for money within the stadium.

Padded seats on the halfway line midway up. A perfect view as opposed to being high up in the gods. The seat costs £3k a season. A different world altogether. Very definitely Keano’s prawn sandwich brigade.

The game was good without being memorable, United winning courtesy of a Marcus Rashford penalty in the first 10 minutes. Rashford drawing a foul from the impetuous Turk Soyuncu.

Earlier new signing Daniel James showed what pace he possess winning a free kick on the edge of the box, Pereira forcing an alert Schmeichel to push the ball away for a corner, while at the other end the Great Danes long kick found James Maddison who in turn saw a shot cannon of De Gea for a corner.

Chilwell had a left foot shot which De Gea tipped over in a half of promise but few clear opportunities.

Our corporate friends hadn’t taken their seats for the second period when Mata tested Schmeichel with a left foot shot coming in from the right and then the pantomime villain, Maguire heading towards goal forcing the City keeper into a save from a corner kick.

Leicester were certainly in the game, they passed the ball well at times in midfield with Maddison impressing on the big stage but their failure to create chances meant a quiet afternoon for David De Gea.

To often the final ball was poor, over hit, intercepted etc. Poor old Vardy was not in the game. Maddison did come close with a free kick which unfortunately curled wide Rashford almost made it two, his free kick clipping the bar.

United just about deserved the win, City will feel they missed an opportunity I was impressed with United’s summer signings Maguire of course very well known playing against his former club played well. Wan Bissaka the young right back signed from Palace looks very promising and ex Swansea man James has certainly taken the step up well.

A Welsh international who plays wide for Manchester Utd will always be compared to Ryan Giggs, this lad is inexperienced but has blistering pace and does not lack confidence.

I was sad to see so many fans leaving from the 80 minute mark, they are all so obsessed with leaving car parks and missing the exodus they miss what sometimes can be 15 mins of the game. Bearing in mind fans going to Old Trafford unlike Leicester probably only visit once or twice a season such is the opportunity to buy tickets and the fact they are not local.

I was able to exit the stadium very quickly after the final whistle, ran down to the metro link behind the cricket ground and was on a tram very quickly heading to the city centre and with a change required had still made it to my car by 5.55pm.

For me then it was a drive across the Pennines on the M62 through Leeds and making good time I was in Harrogate for just gone 7pm, drinking a pint of Black Sheep.

A disappointing scoreline but a good day in sun bathed Manchester.

Manchester United 5-1 FC Midtjylland

The opportunity of watching European football at Old Trafford is not to be sniffed at. In the past, European nights at Old Trafford have been special occasions in the prestigious Champions League with United winning the competition three times. Sadly on this occasion, it was not to be Champions League night at Old Trafford but Europa League night instead against Danish champions, FC Midtjylland.

Since the retirement of a certain legendary Scottish manager, the club has struggled to fill his boots. First David Moyes took up the challenge before being sacked after a poor start. Now it is the highly experienced Louis Van Gaal’s turn to take the reins and he has also found it a difficult task.

LVG kept United in the top four last season guaranteeing Champions League qualification for 2015/16 season.

Man Utd’s brief Champions League stint this season saw them fail to get past the group stage finishing in a dismal third place in a group which contained Wolfsburg, PSV Eindhoven and CSKA Moscow. After the failure to get into the knockout stages, Man Utd entered the lowly regarded Europa League. Should Man Utd win the competition, they would in fact qualify for the Champions League for the following 2016/17 season.

Being on a work course in the city of Manchester the same day of United’s match against FC Midtjylland, it proved to be the perfect opportunity to visit Old Trafford.

Following a day of work in the city, I (Ross) went back to Sale on the metrolink to the hotel I stayed at the night before. After putting my work things in the back of my car and quickly getting changed outside in the hotel car park, I made my way back to the metrolink station and on a tram to Old Trafford.

When I got off the tram, I made the fairly short journey towards Old Trafford with numerous merchandise and food outlets scattering the streets towards the stadium.

When I reached Old Trafford, following numerous steward searches, I started to walk round the stadium taking photos outside and absorbing the pre match atmosphere. Sadly due to the global interest in Man Utd, the atmosphere mainly consisted of tourists giving the feeling of a tourist attraction rather than a sporting arena.

After more searches by stewards, I made my way through the turnstiles and into the stadium.

Old Trafford is the home of Manchester United with a capacity of 75,635. Between 1973 to present day, Old Trafford has been redeveloped heavily to meet the growing demands of the club.

The Sir Alex Ferguson Stand

Formerly known as the United Road stand and the North Stand, runs over the top of United Road. The stand is three tiers tall, and can hold about 26,000 spectators, the most of the four stands. It can also accommodate a few fans in executive boxes and hospitality suites. It opened in its current state in 1996, having previously been a single-tiered stand with terracing at the bottom and seating at the top. As the ground's main stand, it houses many of the ground's more popular facilities, including the Red Café (a Manchester United theme restaurant/bar) and the Manchester United museum and trophy room. Originally opened in 1986 as the first of its kind in the world, the Manchester United museum was in the south-east corner of the ground until it moved to the redeveloped North Stand in 1998. The museum was opened by Pelé on 11 April 1998.

The North Stand was renamed as the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand on 5 November 2011, in honour of Alex Ferguson's 25 years as manager of the club. A 9-foot (2.7 m) statue of Ferguson, sculpted by Philip Jackson, was erected outside the stand on 23 November 2012 in recognition of his status as Manchester United's longest-serving manager.

South Stand

Opposite the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand is the South Stand, formerly Old Trafford's main stand. Although only a single-tiered stand, the South Stand contains most of the ground's executive suites, and also plays host to any VIPs who may come to watch the match. Members of the media are seated in the middle of the Upper South Stand to give them the best view of the match. The television gantry is also in the South Stand, so the South Stand is the one that gets shown on television least often. Television studios are located at either end of the South Stand, with the club's in-house television station, MUTV, in the East studio and other television stations, such as the BBC and Sky, in the West studio.

The dugout is in the centre of the South Stand, raised above pitch level to give the manager and his coaches an elevated view of the game. Each team's dugout flanks the old players' tunnel, which was used until 1993. The old tunnel is the only remaining part of the original 1910 stadium, having survived the bombing that destroyed much of the stadium during the Second World War. On 6 February 2008, the tunnel was renamed the Munich Tunnel, as a memorial for the 50th anniversary of the 1958 Munich air disaster. The current tunnel is in the South-West corner of the ground, and doubles as an entrance for the emergency services. In the event that large vehicles require access, the seating above the tunnel can be raised by up to 25 feet (7.6 m). The tunnel leads up to the players' dressing room, via the television interview area, and the players' lounge. The South Stand has now been renamed the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand.

Stretford End

Perhaps the best-known stand at Old Trafford is the West Stand, also known as the Stretford End. Traditionally, the stand is where the hard-core United fans are located, and also the ones who make the most noise. Originally designed to hold 20,000 fans, the Stretford End was the last stand to be covered and also the last remaining all-terraced stand at the ground before the forced upgrade to seating in the early 1990s. The reconstruction of the Stretford End, which took place during the 1992–93 season, was carried out by Alfred McAlpine. When the second tier was added to the Stretford End in 2000, many fans from the old "K Stand" moved there, and decided to hang banners and flags from the barrier at the front of the tier. So ingrained in Manchester United culture is the Stretford End, that Denis Law was given the nickname "King of the Stretford End", and there is now a statue of Law on the concourse of the stand's upper tier.

East Stand

The East Stand at Old Trafford was the second to be converted to a cantilever roof, following the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand. It is also commonly referred to as the Scoreboard End, as it was the location of the scoreboard. The East Stand currently holds nearly 12,000 fans, and is the location of both the disabled fans section and the away section; an experiment involving the relocation of away fans to the third tier of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand was conducted during the 2011–12 season, but the results of the experiments could not be ascertained in time to make the move permanent for the 2012–13 season. The disabled section provides for up to 170 fans, with free seats for carers. Old Trafford was formerly divided into sections, with each section sequentially assigned a letter of the alphabet. Although every section had a letter, it is the K Stand that is the most commonly referred to today. The K Stand fans were renowned for their vocal support for the club, and a large array of chants and songs, though many of them have relocated to the second tier of the West Stand.

The East Stand has a tinted glass façade, behind which the club's administrative centre is located. These offices are the home to the staff of Inside United, the official Manchester United magazine, the club's official website, and it’s other administrative departments. Images and advertisements are often emblazoned on the front of the East Stand, most often advertising products and services provided by the club's sponsors, though a tribute to the Busby Babes was displayed in February 2008 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster. Above the megastore is a statue of Sir Matt Busby, who was Manchester United's longest-serving manager until he was surpassed by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2010. There is also a plaque dedicated to the victims of the Munich air disaster on the south end of the East Stand, while the Munich Clock is at the junction of the East and South Stands. On 29 May 2008, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Manchester United's first European Cup title, a statue of the club's "holy trinity" of George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton, entitled "The United Trinity", was unveiled across Sir Matt Busby Way from the East Stand, directly opposite the statue of Busby.

The Manchester United club shop has had six different locations since it was first opened. Originally, the shop was a small hut near to the railway line that runs alongside the ground. The shop was then moved along the length of the South Stand, stopping first opposite where away fans enter the ground, and then residing in the building that would later become the club's merchandising office. A surge in the club's popularity in the early 1990s led to another move, this time to the forecourt of the West Stand. With this move came a great expansion and the conversion from a small shop to a "megastore". Alex Ferguson opened the new megastore on 3 December 1994. The most recent moves came in the late 1990s, as the West Stand required room to expand to a second tier, and that meant the demolition of the megastore. The store was moved to a temporary site opposite the East Stand, before taking up a 17,000 square feet (1,600 m2) permanent residence in the ground floor of the expanded East Stand in 2000. The floor space of the megastore was owned by United's kit sponsors, Nike, who operated the store until the expiry of their sponsorship deal at the end of July 2015, when ownership reverted to the club.

With Man Utd being 2-1 down on aggregate against FC Midtjylland in the first leg in Denmark, it was all to play for at Old Trafford. It was the night of dreams at the Theatre of Dreams for 18 year old Marcus Rashford.

Deputising for Anthony Martial, who picked up an injury in the warm-up, Rashford struck twice in 12 second-half minutes to put the tie beyond a stubborn Midtjylland side at Old Trafford.

Leading 2-1 from the first leg, the Danish champions extended their aggregate advantage through Pione Sisto on 27 minutes, but United hit back as the impressive Memphis Depay forced Nikolay Bodurov to turn the ball into his own net.

United were denied a half-time lead when Mikkel Andersen saved Juan Mata's penalty, but the Reds dominated after the interval as Rashford's double, and goals from Ander Herrera and Depay, sealed United's passage into the next round.

Chris Smalling and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson failed to recover in time for Thursday's game which led to United naming Michael Carrick and debutant Joe Riley in a make-shift back four.

Despite this, in the opening stages United contained a passive Midtjylland side with relative ease as the visitors seemed content in preserving their first-leg lead.

Rashford, 18, appeared unfazed by his last-minute call-up, producing a bright and industrious display as he called Andersen into action with a low drive on 16 minutes.

Jesse Lingard then deflected Filip Novak's clearance into the side-netting of the Midtjylland goal as United failed to convert their early dominance into goals.

And United were punished shortly after as the visitors, with their first attack, stunned Old Trafford with a goal on the break, with Sisto rounding Daley Blind and Carrick before drilling a low effort past Sergio Romero just before the half-hour.

The goal sparked United into life in the final third and they were level within five minutes as Bodurov turned Depay's low cross beyond his own 'keeper.

United then had a chance to complete a quick turnaround as Andre Romer sent Herrera flying in the area with a clumsy challenge, but Andersen got down well to his left to tip Mata's spot kick away on 43 minutes.

Midtjylland had to withstand a United barrage as the hosts flew out of the traps in the second half, but Morgan Schneiderlin and Herrera both spurned great chances within five minutes of the restart.

Rashford, however, proved to be more decisive in front of goal as he ghosted into space in the area to turn Mata's brilliant cut-back home on 63 minutes to put United ahead on the night and level in the tie.

As United pushed for the overall lead, Lingard was booked for simulation on 72 minutes following Romer's rash-looking challenge, a booking which rules him out of United's next European tie.

But, again, it was Rashford who crucially found the net three minutes later, drifting into space at the back post to convert Guillermo Varela's exquisite cross.

As Midtjylland began to tire it turned into an exhibition for the hosts. Herrera sealed the victory three minutes from time with a well-taken penalty, after Depay's goal-bound shot was blocked by Kian Hansen's arm.

And, after Romer was dismissed for a second bookable offence, the impressive Depay capped off a fine individual display with low, driven effort in the final minute as United avoided a potential cup banana skin in style.

After the match, I made a quick dash to the exits and ran back up the road to the metrolink station near Old Trafford Cricket Ground in an attempt to beat the crowds.

When I reached the metrolink station, it was well organised operation with numerous turnstiles and barriers easing the crowding on the trams.

After a short tram journey, I got back to my car in Sale by 10:30pm and before starting my journey home down the M6. The only issue I encountered on my way home was the closure of the A50 in Stoke on Trent which saw traffic diverted further down the A50. Once I was passed the diversion, I continued travelling down the A50 before coming off at Tutbury and going through Burton upon Trent. I continued travelling on the A511 eventually getting home for 12:15am ready for work the next day.

UAE 1-2 Uruguay -
Team GB 1-1 Senegal

We left for Manchester at 8:30am going up the M1 Northbound,
across the Peak District and into Oldham at 10:50 am. Boundary Park appears to
be an ageing ground which appears to be awaiting much needed redevelopment. Boundary
Park with a capacity of 10,638 is famous for installing one of the very few
plastic pitches during the 1980’s.

Following our stop in Oldham, we visited Stockport County
who play at Edgeley Park. Edgeley Park was initially built for the rugby league
club Stockport in 1901, but a year later the rugby club defunct and in the same
year, Stockport County, who were looking for a bigger ground, moved into
Edgeley Park which was converted into a football stadium. The Cheadle End behind the goal is one of the
largest Kop stands outside the Premier League and is currently the largest
stand in the English Non-League. Edgeley Park was (until County's relegation in
May 2011) the closest league football ground to the River Mersey - it is
actually closer than Liverpool's Anfield, Everton's Goodison Park or Tranmere
Rovers' Prenton Park.

Just as we left Stockport, we found a Morrisons supermarket
where we had lunch before continuing our journey to Altrincham. We arrived at
Moss Lane at 1:15 pm and took some photos. Moss Lane holds around 6,000
supporters and is currently home to not only Altrincham but also Manchester United
reserves.

Ironically, we parked on Moss Lane and walked to Altrincham Metrolink
and got a free metro to Old Trafford which was courtesy of our Olympic ticket.

We arrived to the sight of Old Trafford Cricket ground where
we took photos of the inside before walking towards Old Trafford (football
ground obviously). Before we entered the ground, thorough checks were in action
meaning we had to empty our pockets into clear bags which were checked and then
body searched. During our 5 hour stay at Old Trafford (must be the longest
amount of time we have stayed at a football ground), we saw two games for the
price of one ticket (£20 each). The first game was United Arab Emirates against
Uruguay with a chorus of boos for Luis Suarez then that was shortly followed by
Team GB taking on Senegal.

When we left Old Trafford we ran to the Old Trafford
Metrolink where we queued to get on the metro back to Altrincham. Once we got
to the car back on Moss Lane, we left Greater Manchester quickly and found
ourselves getting home just gone Midnight.

We really enjoyed our day out in Manchester. It was even
better that we saw an Olympic event at such a big arena like Old Trafford
which is certainly one of the best grounds in the country.

Manchester United 0-0 Middlesbrough

Old Trafford is home of Manchester United (The Red Devils). Adrian and I were really looking forward to our Old Trafford visit as Adrian hasn't been since it has been modernised. Unfortunately, the game ended at 0-0. The Stretford End, North Stand, East Stand (View from the top) and Main Stand have all been re-developed to make Old Trafford one of the best stadiums in the world. Recently, Old Trafford has had two new quadrants built into the top corners of the North-East and North-West of the ground.